The Choice
by Nona Decima Morta
Summary: I stared into her terrified, wide, chocolate brown eyes, unable to speak. This can't be happening to me…no…it's not right…not my dear Bella… ExB.


The Choice

I stared into her terrified, wide, chocolate brown eyes, unable to speak. This can't be happening to me…no…it's not right…not my dear Bella…

Sweat poured down her neck like the rain outside.

I tightened my grip on her cold, clammy hand, not caring the doctors' warnings about the dangerousness of her condition. I had no intention to follow their instructions and stay away from the sun of my life-even if it meant possible exposure.

Beads of sweat trickled from her forehead as she struggled to fight back the enemy troops of disease on the battlefield of her ill-ridden body. Watching her suffer formed large cracks in my heart, but I couldn't bare to leave her alone.

Why couldn't it be me that was plagued with viruses?

Why couldn't it be me that was suffering on the hospital bed?

Why couldn't it be me that absorbed the endless showers of sweat all day and night?

What have I done to earn this punishment? Watching my dearest one endure the pain is too much! I would walk to every shrine in the world to ensure her speedy and full recovery. She had always been strong, but the pesky spirits of deadly symptoms stalked and chased her for weeks, and every visit she went to the doctor, a symptom had invaded her body and she was weaker every time. It won't be long before the Grim Reaper wraps his black cloak around her and rip her away from me, and force us to suffer without each other's company.

No!

The doctors have said they could do nothing more.

The specialists have said she was incurable and nothing could be done.

Even my father, Dr Carlisle Cullen, couldn't save her.

With one hand, I removed the long-dried folded towel from her forehead and replaced it with a cool, wet one. She stared at me, her lips moving soundlessly. Every minute I watched her slowly lose a battle, a piece of me shatters into a million tiny pieces.

Am I the only one that believes she will recover?

Am I the only one that believes her dull eyes will miraculously change into her beautiful ones again?

Am I the only one that believes I will hear her melodic voice again?

I tried to stop myself from crying, but I was rapidly losing grip. A tear managed to slip from my eyes and landed on her pale, stone-cold hand.

We looked at the tear drop as it splattered.

With all her energy, she giggled, and I laughed with her. I immediately stopped when she began coughing hysterically. I frantically looked around, and noticed the small, almost-empty bottle of medicine on the table that a nurse had neglected to take with her an hour ago. Still holding her hand, I reached over and grabbed it.

I unscrewed the cap and grimaced as the odour rose in the air. I gently poured the last remaining drops of the liquid into her mouth.

With great effort, she swallowed it and made a face.

For a minute, we stared at each other.

Just stared.

The tears that brimmed her eyes were the most precious jewels I had ever seen.

The tears that trickled down her smooth face were the clearest water I had ever saw.

The thunder rolled outside and flashes of lightning appeared. The rain pattered heavily and smashed into tinier droplets of water against the window. I heard faint voices from the kids running on the streets and soft murmurings in the corridors. I didn't care. The few minutes we gazed into each others' eyes wasn't enough to last a lifetime.

She shuddered when a slight breeze danced through the tiny opening in the window.

Instantly, I wrapped my leather jacket around her shoulders wordlessly and went to fully close the window. As I glanced outside, I noticed the few birds that had been sitting on the tree a few days ago were no longer there.

It was replaced by a big, pure black, sullen-eyed, glaring raven. I didn't need a superstitious person or a

soothsayer to tell me the impending news of her health.

"Edward," she croaked. "You look exhausted. I'm sorry for all this. You must've stayed awake for days, watching me. You should go home."

"No," I said fiercely. "I can't leave you. You _will_ survive."

"I can't do it anymore…"

"Yes you can! I believe in you! The two of us will be together tomorrow morning, and we will go to the meadow and have another picnic, just the two of us! We won't be disturbed, and we will talk about our past and the good times we had!"

"I love you Edward, but you have to let me go…there's nothing more you can do for me. Even your dad knew that. Go home and leave me here…I'm ready to go…"

"Please, Bella! Don't go! "

"What can you do? You can't stop my dying."

I turned away and looked at myself in the mirror. My golden, Topaz eyes stared back at me. I would never lie or keep any secret from her, but this…

Everyone thought I wore contacts for no particular reason, but there was a chance I can save my Bella from Death's clutches, but it will have consequences…

Deep consequences.

"What is it?" said Bella weakly. "What are you thinking?"

Glancing back at her, the dark, looming shadows around her had merged into the leering, unpleasant face of the Grim Reaper, his long, bony fingers slowly creeping out and reaching towards her.

I have a mere number of seconds to make the crucial decision.

Will I have enough courage and skills to give Bella the gift of immortality and my eternal love, or will I be cowardly and watch her slip away from me to join Death's domain?

* * *

**Tell me what you think! :) Should I keep it as a one-shot or change it into a multi-chapter story? **


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